The search for a true real-time data transmission system capable of delivering digital audio and video information has prompted the development of various new mediums and resulted in a variety of technological advances. For example, data throughput rates, computer processing speeds and processor capabilities and modem baud rates have seen dramatic increases in recent years. Other advances have led to the more prevalent use of cleaner and wider bandwidth media types capable of carrying more data such as fiber optical, coaxial cabling, digital satellite transmission systems and dedicated trunk lines.
Delivering real-time digital video and audio information to a consumer requires a dedicated delivery circuit capable of handling heavy data traffic loads. For example, transmitting and receiving CD quality digital sound requires a circuit with an 88 Kbps capability while delivering digital video requires a circuit having a 1.5 Mbs capability. While mediums capable of such speeds exist at the localized platform or network level, there is currently no known data transmission network for delivering real-time digital audio, video and composite data on an international, national or even regional basis.
Prior attempts to achieve real-time digital data transmissions focused on the use of newer and wider bandwidth medias, faster processors, compression algorithms and the like. The present invention, however, allows the transmission of digital video and audio information using existing circuits in a batch non-real-time mode which is subsequently recreated at the receiving station in a real-time mode.
Prior systems concentrated on increasing component level performance or using broader bandwidth circuits. Thus, until the present invention there was no readily available method and apparatus for transmitting digital information formats over existing broadcast systems by encoding message information in an unused portion of the broadcast spectrum.
Furthermore, until the present invention there was not a readily available method or apparatus for controlling the presentation character of the information already available by accessing existing data sources to manipulate the way information was received by the end-user. The present invention, however, discloses a method and apparatus that allows a system manager to simply transmit one or more presentation parameters that are decoded by a receiver at the consumer end and is implemented by manipulating the information received from the existing data sources in a real time display mode.